Il Pleut dans la Nuit
by Sunechirei
Summary: Rain: The fifteen year old daughter of Kairi and Sora, goddaughter of Riku. She lives her life as an orphan with Riku, wanting people treat her normally. But when the cloaked man comes and takes her away, she figures out she can never really be normal.
1. Prologue

**New story time :P I honestly don't know if it's right for me to post this right now, as I'm not that far in this story, but I do have the whole thing planned out, and if it wasn't one in the morning, I'd be so much more eager to write it... but I'm tired, and going to bed soon, sooo XD**

**So, for those of you who know nothing about me, I'm Sunechirei, author of Is there an Elephant in the Room? and other random KH one shots. I spend all my time reading, writing, playing video games, or sleeping, and I LOOOOOOOVE critiques. Seriously. I'm not one of those people who gets angry every time someone disses my story. I may get a little pissed if what they say isn't true and no one else agrees with them, but I confront those people calmly, and explain why I think they're wrong in a very civil manner. If they become pissy, I ignore them :) So, if you have something to say, please say it! :D I always reply to reviews :)  
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**Okay, unlike in Elephant, where my main goal was to finish a long story with a good plot, this story is going to be mainly about description and flow, so sorry if the story's a bit... um... strange... I came up with this idea while visiting my family in Los Angeles. In the middle of the night. So it'll be a bit weird. I'm told it's a good idea, though, and I tend to be okay at coming up with interesting stories, so I hope I don't disappoint anyone :)**

**So, I hope everyone who reads this enjoys the story. I'm going to try and post a chapter a week, and sorry this is unedited :( I don't yet have a beta for this story, but I'll find one eventually :D**

**Read, review, enjoy, and tell your friends if you liked it, because this is my next big project!**

**This is, Il Pleut dans la Nuit.**

**(Means, It rains in the night)**

**~Sunechirei  
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><p>Prologue<p>

Smoke furled, flames licked, and pieces of wood collapsed all around Riku as the man stumbled through the once beautiful hallway of his best friend's house. Ignoring the burning sensation brought on by the gray smoke, he turned sharply around the corner, swiping his hand across watering eyes to clear them of the tears that had arrived with the intense heat. He narrowed them, scanning for the dark presence that had invaded the house. It was there, he knew it, but it was different from any other being he had ever met before. Not a Nobody; not a Heartless. The being was human, but so filled with darkness, it reminded Riku of the year he spent wallowing in self pity and watching over his best friend in hiding. Because of this, he knew that nothing good could come out of this.

Coughing a few times to clear his throat of smoke, Riku closed his eyes and tried desperately to focus on the location of the presence. Finally, he managed to pinpoint the exact location, and his sea-blue eyes snapped open, rising to the back of the hall where it resonated from. It was strongest in a small room, one that was completely insignificant a year ago.

The baby's room.

A desperate stroke of fear passed through Riku, nearly making his heart stop, and he dashed forward, towards the room with inhuman speed. Grabbing the handle, he felt the fear rise dangerously as he found that the door was locked, so he let go of the burning metal and backed away, letting out a with a single, simple kick. The door flew off its hinges easily, but Riku was unable to enter, as he was greeted by greater flames, and more smoke that trickled out of the room.

When the smoke finished bellowing out, Riku took the arm that was covering his eyes down to scan the room. Much to his surprise, and terror, a woman clad in a long dark dress was leaning over the small crib at the back of the room, long arms reaching towards the baby inside.

Without a second's hesitation, Riku summoned Way to the Dawn, and tensed to attack, but before he could even take a step, a piece of the ceiling came crashing down, blocking his way, and he let out a yelp, covering his face. Arm now stinging from the burning coals, he brought it down slightly, and hoping his set back wasn't long enough to have allowed the woman to escape. Luckily, she hadn't, but was facing Riku, one hand clenched near her breast as a sign of either surprise, or anxiety.

Riku tightened the grip around his Keyblade. He fell back into a fighting stance, observing the woman carefully. Her long, curly, auburn hair cascaded around a face that seemed to be olive toned, but the shadow casting across it hid not only her skin tone, but the eyes as well. This managed to keep Riku from finding any distinguishable features that would help him remember the woman in the future; after all, hair could be changed easily. He groaned in frustration, holding up his Keyblade as he took a slight step forward. Despite the darkness that dimmed her face, Riku could clearly see a smile forming on her lips.

"You're going to attack me?" The woman's voice could just be heard over the cackling of the flames, but even then, Riku could tell it was filled with pure malice. "Just like her father," she whispered, and with a shake of her head, the woman seemed to summon the swirling vortex of darkness that appeared behind her suddenly. Stepping into it, she muttered, "Such a shame," then vanished in an instant.

Heart beating madly, Riku bounded over the flaming rubble, ignoring the flames licking at his legs, burning holes in his pants, and branding his legs with what would eventually become scars, but he didn't care. His only thoughts were on the baby.

When he finally reached her, Riku stared down into the crib for a brief second, unable to understand how the baby was still asleep, her eyes closed gently, as he assumed she would be wailing from the intense heat and crackling noises. But no. She stayed slumbering as he lifted her carefully out of the crib, his eyes wandering around the room for a place to escape the burning wreckage. The baby was cool, almost as though there were a protective charm over her, which wouldn't be surprising. Her mother, was a master at magic, so a spell of protection wouldn't seem unfathomable, and it was the best explanation as to why the baby had yet to awaken.

What seemed like forever, but was really only a few seconds, Riku's blue eyes sought out a split in the wall next to what used to be the door, and he dashed towards him, holding the baby as close to him as possible. Keep her safe. That's all he thought of doing.

"Riku!"

The familiar voice of King Mickey resonated in Riku's ears, and he turned sharply to see the small mouse-like creature hovering above the ground in a small, translucent, blue, bubble of magic.

"This way," he called. Without waiting another moment, Riku headed over there, and together, the two dashed out of the burning building, the sounds of sirens reaching them as they burst out. Finally, the firemen had arrived, but it would be too late to save anything in the house, living or not. It was such a shame.

In Riku's arms, the baby girl began to squirm slightly, and he glanced down at her, long silver hair falling into his face. The infant's eyes were bunched up, almost as if she were about to cry and her one year old hands waved around as though she were trying to swat some invisible creature away from the auburn mop of hair on her small head. Around the baby's neck donned a small, silver necklace with two trinkets at the end; a golden key that held the same shape as her father's Keyblade, and the blue charm her mother had once worn all her life. A yawn escaped the baby; then she opened her crystal blue eyes, and stared up at Riku with dazed wonder.

"What happened?" Mickey caught Riku's attention again, and he glanced up at his friend, brow creased with worry.

"I'm not sure," he muttered quietly, brushing his hair back behind his ear. "I was coming here for a short visit, but when I got closer to the house, I could see smoke rising from it and-" Riku's grip tightened slightly around the baby's body as he hesitated to say what was on his mind. "-and then Kairi's presence... it just... just vanished." Next to him, Mickey gasped, horrified, but Riku continued before his voice was lost, "I ran as quickly as possible to the house, but before I could get there, Sora as well..." Much to Riku's irritation, his voice cracked, but he shook his head anyway, trying to rid the horror of his best friends being lost, "Then," he continued, "there was an overwhelming darkness in her room," he gestured at the now wriggling baby in his arms, "so I headed there."

"What do you mean?" Mickey asked as Riku fell to his knees, exhausted.

"A woman...," he muttered, "I don't know who, but she was standing over the crib; almost as if to kill-" he stopped talking at this point, finally losing the ability to speak.

Mickey placed a gloved hand on the man's shoulder, trying to comfort him in any way possible, but it was hopeless. A tear slid down Riku's cheek, and he shook his head violently. Slowly, the burning fire of the house began to subside, from both lack of food, but also from the water gushing out of the fire truck. Riku could only watch in anguish.

"What are you going to do with her?" Mickey asked after a time, leaning over the baby who had started to whine and wriggle with hunger. "Minnie and I could probably raise her-"

"No!" Riku stood, cradling the baby. "She's my goddaughter. I can take care of her myself!" He glared at his friend, though not in a completely harsh way.

"But your studies-" Mickey protested.

"Aren't as important as this," Riku interrupted, shaking his head. He looked out towards the sea, and noticed that most of the residents of Destiny Island had gathered, on the sandy beach, muttering to each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Riku saw two police heading his way, most likely to get a witness report. "Kairi and Sora... they..." His eyes once again traveled to the girl, who was by now desperate to get out of Riku's arms and toddle around. She had just begun walking a few weeks before, much to Kairi's delight, and had taken a liking to the action.

With a sigh, Mickey summoned the Kingdom Key in preparation to leave before anyone really noticed him. "I understand. We'll help you though, if you ever need it." With a flash of light, the king was gone, leaving Riku to deal with his old childhood friends who had joined the law enforcement; Tidus and Wakka.

Though he didn't want to stay on Destiny Island, he knew it would be the best thing for the girl, and friends were more important to him than studies. The baby had managed to crawl out of the blanket she was wrapped in, was now looking up over Riku's shoulder, her tiny hands using his body as a support. She seemed slightly frightened at the sight of her charred house, though Riku doubted she really knew what was going on. The woman in the room still bugged him, but there were more important things to do right now than worry about it, so instead he pulled the girl away from his shoulder and set her down on the ground. As soon as her feet touched, she wobbled at bit then fell backwards onto her bottom.

Laughing quietly, Riku leaned down towards the confused girl.

"What am I going to do with you, Rain?"


	2. Destiny Island

**Well, here it is, chapter 1... Oh my. XD**

**So, I found a beta, maybe :P so thanks to Freshmen Slave (that's right, I use that nickname even on here) for betaing this chapter. (her real name on here is Phantom Hunter of the Soul), and... yeah...**

**Okay, so in this chapter, you get to actually meet Rain, rather than just a baby version of her. I have a slight warning for you all.**

**She. Is. A. LKGFJDFIUGHR:NJGIDJHS:KJNBJLFHN:LKJSKLJ! I'm serious. I hate her so much that if I could go into my head and kill a character, it would be her. Screw killing Mary Sues, they'll find their own downfall, but this girl... ugh! So yeah. Don't let the fact that Rain is a horrible person keep you from reading this story. She is evil. She is annoying. It's okay to hate her :) It's just who her character is, and if that keeps you from reading this story, then I'm sorry, but there will be characters that are bratty, annoying, self righteous, and so on. My suggestions is you don't stop reading because of Rain. Yeah, she's annoying, but she does have a slight reason, and it's not like she's a Mary Sue. So... Yeah...**

**Thanks to my reviewers :D KHfan22, Phantom, 813 i love you 813, and Rocket :) I'm not really going to go into depth of the reviews here, like I do in Elephant, but I may eventually XD Or I'll just send a PM, who knows. *shrugs* **

**So yeah, that's all I really have to say about this chapter. I hope you enjoy it, hate Rain as much as I do, and please review :)**

**(Oh! I've decided I'm going to update this story on Thursdays. That might change, but so far, it seems like a good day :D)**

**Also, because I'm lame and didn't do it last chapter, here's a disclaimer. I own nothing that Square Enix does, which means I only own Rain and this story line :D  
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**~Sunechirei**

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><p>One stroke. Two strokes. Three.<p>

And it was done.

The black polish reflected the sunlight pouring in through the window, and stood out brilliantly against the pale flesh that surrounded the nail belonging to a young, black haired, teenage girl. Curling her fingers slowly over her palm, the teen blew ever so lightly on her nails, attempting vainly to dry them in fast succession. After a time, she pulled the hand away from her mouth, examining the shiny nails, before grinning contently and grabbed the bottle of nail polish. As she twisted the lid back on, a dark shadow cast over the desk.

"Miss Hikari, this is math class. _Not_ a beauty salon. Do your nails on your own time!" Blue eyes traveled from the black finger nails to the red-from-anger face that painted the math teacher's face, causing a nasty smirk to spread across the young girl's lips. She placed her elbow on the desk in front of her, turning to face her teacher.

"Why sir, I do believe you're right," she droned, her voice dripping with sarcasm as the message was relayed, "but really, I could care less." The anger radiating from the teacher was no longer reserved, and the hand of his that held up a text book began to tremble slightly. The girl laughed, flicking a strand of short hair out of her face, which was pointless, as if fell back exactly where it was before.

Swallowing thickly, the teacher flipped open the math notebook laying on the desk with his other hand, and growled, obviously trying to contain his rage. "Miss Hikari, I do hope you realize that if you don't take notes, you're never going to pass this class. And if you don't pass this class, you can't graduate from high school and if-"

"Oh shut up." The teacher stopped talking for a second, before stuttered a few words through a gasp of surprise and frustration.

"What did you-"

" Pu-leez. The old hag who thinks she's teaching us to write already gave me this dreadful speech. Could ya, you know, hurry it up so I can get my stupid detention slip, and get the hell out of this horridly boring class?" An eerie silence fell over the room, every student staring at the extremely pale teen smirking up at the infuriated man. "What's wrong? Too stupid to deal with a teenage girl?" A haughty laugh resonated in the silent room, and the girl smirked at her teacher, delicate fingers tracing the gashes and drawings on the desk in front her. She knew she was going too far, but it was too much fun to stop.

The teacher slammed the text book down on the desk, covering the note book, and just barely missing the girl's fingers. She stopped tracing, and glared up at the man, the smile wiped clean off her face. "What did you just say?" the teacher hissed, brown eyes shooting daggers. Next to the teen, a curly haired girl, most likely a friend, quietly whispered;

"Don't push it, Rain."

Quite encouraged by the girl's words, Rain pushed back in her chair, dragging out the high pitched screech, before moving to her feet and slowly tugging the book out from under the teacher's. "You heard me, you deaf, decrepit, _pathetic_, excuse for a man." A gasp of awe passed through the room at Rain's words, which did nothing to quell her already considerable ego. Patting her teacher on the shoulder, she stalked pass him and headed towards the door, leaving the teacher squawking with disbelief.

"Nice one," the guy next to the door whispered with amazement as she passed, nodding at her, a grin on his face. With a seductive smile, Rain winked at him, then slid open the class room door and stepping out into the hallway. Turning around for the last time, she smirked at the now dumbfounded math teacher, placing her hands on either side of the door frame.

"You know," she cooed, causing everyone to lean forward in their chain with anticipation, "if you actually worked when you were in high school, like you're telling me to do, you wouldn't be a dead beat teacher working on this tiny island. So don't go looking down on me." She scoffed, "Deplorable blockhead." Not bothering to wait for a reply, Rain slammed the door shut, a smug look on her face, and she flounced down the hall, glad to be heading home.

Ditching school for the rest of the day wouldn't hurt anyone, and the young teen doubted her guardian would be home before dark today. He said he was going to be busy, which meant he wasn't going to come home before late and not to wait up for him. This was absolutely perfect for Rain, as she hated being around her godfather anyway, and this meant she would have all the time in the world to herself. At least, for a little while.

"You're never going to get anywhere in life if you continue to put up such a bad ass front, you know that, right?" A body suddenly appeared next to Rain's, and a warm arm wrapped around her thin shoulders as the person talked, their voice low.

Rain stopped short, surprised by the sudden closeness. Her hand moved slowly to rest on the boy's, and she turned her head to face him, meeting his eyes with her own.

"Oh Taro," she whispered, admiring his silky brown hair, "you know that I could care less where I go in life." She leaned a bit closer to the boy, Taro, nearly touching his lips with her own. "Now get your arm off me before I kick your ass." Her hand tightened around Taro's and shoved the entire limb off her shoulder; spinning around so she faced him, blue skirt swirling.

Taro's silver-green eyes sparkled, like they were smiling at her, and he leaned against the wall behind him, but said nothing, arms crossed. A moment of silence, and Rain released her breath. "What do you want with me?"

"I don't understand you, Rain," Taro said, crossing his arms. "You act like such a flirt, attracting attention of all the guys, and yet when I try and get close to you... it's like I'm the plague." His eyes narrowed, though not with anger, but confusion.

With a short, sarcastic, laugh, Rain replied, "You _are_ the plague! As far as I'm concerned, you're just another bratty guy who thinks I'll sleep with anyone who asks." She leaned forward a bit. "I'm not that kinda girl." She smiled in sweet irritation, before starting to walk away again. Taro, however, wouldn't let it go, and he began to follow her, quickly catching up with only a few steps.

"I don't think you'd sleep with anyone," he protested, falling in step beside Rain. "I mean, you're still a vi-"

Rain twisted suddenly and placed a single hand over Taro's mouth. "_What_, do you want," she hissed, moving away from Taro. She wasn't really expecting an answer, but she figured it was worth asking anyway. Without waiting for an answer, she began to walk towards the exit again, but this time, the teenage boy didn't follow, or say anything else. Rain was free to leave without fear of being harassed anymore. Not that she was afraid of Taro, just irritated with him. He reminded her too much of her godfather; cocky, but hiding some kind of horrid pain.

It made her sick.

Finally, she exited the school building, happy that she was finally out of there, and headed down the path that led to the center of town, ignoring all the stares and whispers that followed her. Everyone in Destiny Islands knew who Rain Hikari was; the poor little girl who'd lost her parents in a house fire, raised by a godfather who had to give up his life as a traveler and researcher to take care of his best friends' daughter. They felt sorry for her, empathized with her, treated her as though she were special, different.

It was something she despised with every fiber in her being. She didn't want their sympathy- she wanted them to leave her alone. No one treated her like a normal child. So she didn't act like one. Why should she act like one? Would it make a difference?

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><p>Rain lay on the floor of her room, black hair splayed out on her face, and she stared lazily up at the ceiling, her blue eyes wandering from picture to picture. The dark, ruffled dress she wore stopped just before her knees, and fell down beside them, creating the illusion of a dress that was less conspicuous than what was really there. The blood red trim and ruffles stood out completely, and it matched the headband that was placed neatly in Rain's hair. A dark, sexy, comfortable outfit. Her boots, on the other hand, were the opposite of cozy, reaching up past her knees tightly, the buckles accented in a light brown. Hanging around her pale neck were two necklaces; a golden key strung onto a black collar, and a charm hanging at the end of a silver chain.<p>

She looked dark, mysterious in that outfit, and all the adults avoided her for that reason, but if they were to see the drawings she had done, the pictures that plastered her walls, they wouldn't avoid, but crowd Rain. So naturally, she kept them a secret.

All the flowers, the sea, the beach, the sunset, the cities, the animals, the people that she drew... they were breathtaking. So realistic that when Rain's friend once saw one of her drawings, the girl thought it was a picture taken by a professional photographer. The comment had filled Rain with pure joy, a feeling she didn't get very often.

But these pictures, they weren't just random ideas that Rain decided to draw one day, and it wasn't by chance she drew them. Oh no, all of these pictures, all of the people, all of the scenes, revolved around a single boy who haunted Rain's dreams.

In one, he was standing with his arms behind his head, walking beside two animalistic creatures; another, he was fighting a large, black creature, holding a majestic, jeweled sword; yet another, the boy was sitting on a dock, a young girl standing next to him as they stared out into the sunset.

Of course, he wasn't in all of the pictures. There were a few that were just scenery; lush forests of green, pink, purple, brown, and every other color in the rainbow, where birds sat in clusters, and gorillas traversed the dirt paths.

These things were important to Rain, though she couldn't figure out why it was the case. Her blue eyes shut slowly as she breathed in and out, her tiny figure rising and falling with every breath, and she took in the silence that surrounded her, imagining the pictures in her head, but the peace she was experiencing was shattered by the sound of a voice; a voice she was so familiar with.

"These pictures," the voice said, "they're so nostalgic. How did you know to draw them?" Eyes snapping open, Rain pushed herself off the ground, her legs curling up, and she looked around her dark room, until her eyes landed on the speaker.

A boy, no older than fourteen. She smiled softly at the sight of his spiky brown hair, goofy grin, red jump suit, tasteless accessories, but most of all, she was beaming at the crystal blue orbs peering out from his bangs; eyes that matched her own in color. The boy in her drawing.

Laughing at her smile, the boy reached up his gloved hands and placed them behind his head. However, Rain wasn't smiling because of happiness, but because of realization, something the boy didn't seem to understand.

"This...," she began softly, shifting so that her hands could rest on her knees, "this is a dream, isn't it?" The boy smiled, his eyes closing.

"Yeah, I think it is." He walked towards Rain and leaned down, his fingers stretching slowly towards her neck. "This necklace," he murmured, "Kairi's necklace. Why do you wear it all the time?" He shook his head, brown locks shifting with the movement, becoming even messier.

A flash of light, and suddenly, Rain was lying down again, clad in the same cloths, but this time, she wasn't in her room, but the den, resting soundly on the couch, mouth open as if to respond to the unasked question. She sat up again, one leg falling off the couch, and observed everything around her. This time, it was real life, not a dream, and she could tell, because a delicious scent was wafting from the kitchen, making Rain's mouth water. It was only then she realized just how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten anything all day, which she was reminded of by the growling stomach under her hand.

With a sigh, Rain slid off the couch, her feet landing quietly on the hardwood floor; a feat not many could pull off, and heading silently out of the den, ignoring her rumbling stomach. As she entered the kitchen, the smell grew stronger, until it was almost intoxicating, but she continued to ignore it, instead, thinking about the dream. This was the first time she had been talked to by the boy, the first time he hadn't been in another world, or another place in time.

It was also the first time she'd fully seen his face.

"Sora..." she muttered, eyes oblivious to her surroundings, her thoughts only on the boy, "Dad." Her voice was low, but it still caught the attention of the other person in the room. He turned around, short, silver, hair shifting as though it were being blown by the wind. When his sea-blue eyes rested on Rain, they narrowed, obviously not pleased by her attire, but said nothing at all until his attention was back on the dinner he was preparing.

"It's not good to space out like that, you know," he said, flicking the switch on the rice cooker. Rain's head snapped in his direction, her once blissful face returning to the sarcastic, moody mask she held during school. Scoffing, she shook her head, and muttered a 'whatever.' Her guardian, however, heard her, and shifted to face her again. "Don't take that tone with me," he growled. Reminded immensely of her math teacher, Rain laughed.

"Oh shut up, Riku. You could care less what 'tone' I take." She knew that wasn't true, but it was fun for her to watch her guardian simmer in anger, though this would probably lead to her getting grounded. Not that she would pay any attention to that. As she stalked into the kitchen, she asked, "What's for dinner," acting as though she hadn't just told Riku such a bratty thing.

He grunted in response. After a moment of waiting for more of an answer, which Rain knew she wasn't going to get, she tapped her foot impatiently, and began to hum, two things that drove her guardian completely insane. Finally, he turned around, sending a glare that shut her up immediately. "What do you think," he hissed, hand slamming on the counter. Rain cocked her head to the side, not at all fazed by Riku's anger, before questioning;

"What up your ass tonight?"

Riku normally didn't act as hostile as he did at that moment. "Well, let's see," he began, crossing his arms across his chest. A flutter of fear appeared in Rain's stomach, blocking out the hunger. "I think it may have something to do with the phone call I got from your school today." Rain cringed, her fists clenching. The school had never called Riku before, but now that they had, things wouldn't be the best for her. Not that they were peachy to begin with.

"Oh?" Rain queried, trying to hide any emotion in her voice that was threatening to leak out. "What did they tell you?"

"Just that you've been ditching, disrespecting the teachers and terrorizing some of the younger students." Riku's tone was dark, dangerous, something Rain had not heard in years, not since Riku had yelled at her for talking to a strange man wearing a dark cloak. "Why are you doing these things? What happened to you?" Riku was talking about the change in Rain's attitude and appearance in the past few months. Before, she followed the rules, dressed in normal clothing, was sympathetic, helped people, but now, that wasn't the case.

Swallowing thickly, Rain mentally shook her head, nose turned up, hoping she was hiding her fear, and said, "Why do you care? You're _not_ my father." Those words seemed to strike home with Riku. His arms dropped from his chest, and his eyes widened, a horrendous look of sadness appearing in them. Before he could say anything, however, Rain continued, "You're not my father, so you shouldn't be the one telling me how to live my life!"

"I'm the one who raised you, Rain," Riku growled, anger returning, "I practically am your-"

"Raised me? Raised me?" Rain's rage was growing steadily. "You were never home you bastard! You're always at work, always off doing something else! How much you wanna bet if my parents hadn't died, you would never come to visit? Where were you anyway, that night?"

This argument had been building for a while, and even though Rain was normally reserved with her accusations, this time, she didn't want Riku to be anywhere near her, she wanted him to hate her. She was sick of his attitude, him holding in his pain, not telling her anything, and she was so tired of being around someone who hated her.

"Where were you?" Rain repeated when Riku had said nothing. "Everyone always tells me you were my dad's best friend, but where were you when he and my mom were dying? Huh?"

"I was saving you," Riku exclaimed. He stood up straight and walked over to Rain, towering over her, despite the fact she was wearing high heels. "But that is not something you should be concerned about! You should be worrying about school."

"School isn't important to me," the teen declared, crossing her arms and glaring up at her guardian. "Why you didn't try to save my parents, however, is!"

"Drop. The. Subject." If Riku's voice went any lower, it would have won at limbo. This didn't affect Rain, however, and her lipstick covered lips curled into a demented smile.

"Aw, does Uncle Riku not want to talk about how sucky of a friend he is?"

She was cognizant of the fact that this would strike home with Riku. Ever since she was little, Rain had been told by her guardian that being a good friend was everything, and that she should never betray them. When she'd gotten in a fight with a classmate of hers, Riku had gotten angry, and told her it wasn't worth fighting with friends because they should be very important to her. At first she just thought he was telling her these things because he was being a good guardian, but after a time, it became clear Riku had done something in the past he wasn't proud of.

Though she knew it was going to affect him, she wasn't expecting him to react the way he did. Really, she didn't register exactly what happened until after the sound had broken the silence of the house, and she was stumbling back a bit, her cheek stinging.

He had slapped her.

Slowly, Rain's hand came up to her face, trembling fingers touching her skin lightly, her eyes wide with complete and utter shock. Her eyes eventually traveled to Riku's, which were blazing with anger, though they were mostly hidden by his silver bangs. She took a step back, fear raging through her veins and her hand curled into a loose fist against her skin as her other hand crossed over her stomach, clenching her elbow.

Enraged by her words, Riku took a small stride towards her, though it wasn't long enough to cover the distance between them. However, Rain still receded, stumbling a bit.

"You know nothing, Rain," Riku eventually snapped, though his anger seemed to be calming a bit. "Don't talk about things you don't understand. I did everything in my power to help Kairi and Sora, but it was already too late when I got there. You were the only one I could save."

Guilt rushed through Rain, however, it was clouded by her fear, and her anger at Riku's violent response. He had never hit her before.

As he extended his hand towards her, he whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you," but the words were lost on Rain.

"Don't touch me," she screeched, her hand swinging at his to bat it away. "Don't fucking come near me!" She spun around and stumbled out of the room, ignoring Riku's call after her.

Heart pounding, she ran to the door, her only thoughts on escaping the house, fleeing from Riku. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the door, and she could hear her guardian coming after her, so she turned around again. He was standing there, hands held up in a submissive way, guilt showing on his entire expression.

He took another step forward, causing Rain to freeze. She couldn't get the door open, and she couldn't flee. "Rain, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just reacted and-" he took another step, but this was too much for the teen.

"I said don't come near me!"

She shouldn't be afraid. He apologized, he had never hit her before, he had always been nice, but she couldn't help but feel immense fear just at the sight of him. It was like someone had taken control of her emotions, and was toying with them. But with those words, it was like something within her had shattered, bringing a flushed feeling all throughout her body.

The blue crystal around her neck heated up like a flame, burning her skin until she began to cry, but the tears weren't the only thing blurring her vision. Her breath became shallow, and the shaking worsened. A splitting headache pounded her mind, and she choked, wanting it all to be done, but then it was gone. Everything but the tears vanished as quickly as the symptoms had come.

When she looked up, fear completely gone, she saw something she wasn't expecting. First, the door she had been leaning against was completely obliterated, and a large fracture ran down the hallway missing Riku, who was completely petrified, by an inch, and continuing down towards his room.

"Rain?" Riku's voice was quivering.

Allowing the handle to drop from her hand, Rain barreled out of the building, the tears still falling from her eyes. She tripped down the front steps of the porch, but didn't stop, suspecting Riku would pursue her once he was capable of moving again, which would be soon. As she ran, thoughts tickled the back of her mind, pulling at her conscience, imploring her to humor them.

Was it her that destroyed the door? If so, how?

Her feet pounded against the pavement as she thought of these two questions, but soon, the hard ground turned soft, loose, and Rain realized she had made it to the beach. Looking around, she made sure Riku wasn't following her, before heading farther down the sand, towards the crystal blue water, guided only by the light of the full moon. Her heaving breathing was the only sound of the night, and all Rain could feel was utmost fear.

But she didn't know why.

Deep inside, she knew it was her who created that crack. It was obvious from the reaction she had had, but how did she do it? How _could_ she have done it? Magic wasn't real; it was a thing made up for fairy tales and books, for a child's entertainment. It couldn't be real, and even if it was, Rain was too normal to be able to use it.

Right?

Suddenly, a shudder passed up Rain's spine, and she became aware of a feeling in her heart, like someone was there. Slowly, she turned away from the water, facing the direction of the feeling she had gotten, and sure enough, standing in front of a swirling vortex of black and purple gas, stood a man. He wasn't much taller than she, standing maybe around five six, five seven, but the dark cloak he wore cast the illusion that he was much taller, and the hood covering his face didn't help the fact that he was intimidating.

"Who are you?" Rain called, taking a step away. The man laughed.

"A friend, Rain," he whispered. "Someone who will help you, who will tell you who you are. What you are."

Her eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

"I know everything about you."

"Rain!" Riku's voice sounded behind Rain, and she shifted to see him running towards her.

When she looked back at the man, she found he was closer to her, holding out his hand. "Come with me, Rain. I can tell you how you managed to destroy that door, create that crevice. That's something he won't do."

Rain contemplated what she should do. No doubt, Riku would have her head if she went with this guy, and even now he was calling out to her, telling her not to listen to him, to come back, but if the man was telling the truth, and would help Rain...

She took a step towards him, saying, "Why would you help me?"

"Because you're special."

Rain laughed at this idea. "I'm not special," she whispered, reaching up to touch the golden key, "I'm just an orphaned girl..."

"That's not true."

"What?" Rain looked up at the man. "What do you mean?"

"He told you nothing, did he?"

"Rain, what are you doing?" Riku was right behind her now, only a few feet from being able to grab her. He was breathing heavily, and Rain watched him with sad eyes. What didn't he tell her? What was going on in her life? Was there something she needed to know, something Riku wasn't ever going to say?

"What's he talking about?" She asked, eyes narrowing. "What does he mean, "I'm special," and that you haven't told me anything?" Riku flinched, and it was then Rain knew. Something was going on, and she wanted to know what it was. Swirling back to face the man, she reached out and grabbed his hand eagerly, wincing at the heat resonating from it.

The last thing she heard was Riku yelling out to her, and then she was falling.


	3. Alagaesia

**... I haven't written in this story at all since last week... I should probably do that... **

**Anyway, here is chapter 2, which is sadly, unedited. See, I had a beta, but she couldn't do it anymore (don't worry hun, I still love you XD) so I'm going to try and self edit this until I can find a beta. Chances are, I'm going to be doing that for the entirety of this story... *sigh* So, sorry in advance for any mistakes that you'll find. Let me know if you see any and I'll make sure to go back and fix them... Maybe... **

**So, reviews... I suppose I should reply to some of those now...**

**deadly maelstrom: Wow, that's a weird coincidence O.O Glad you like the story so far though :) Also, I find it strange you like Rain, but oh well. *shrugs* **

**813 i love you 813: This is the only story about Rain, so I have to give a lot of information ;P Otherwise, you don't learn anything about her character XD That wouldn't be good... She's kinda growing on me, the more she runs around in my head like an idiot, but I still don't like her -_-**

**SutaaFox: :D You're such an awesome reviewer XD This is very different from Elephant, as is the point. I got sick of the crack, nonsense love story in first person... I originally started writing in 3rd, so it's more naturally for me to write like this... Yes, this does take place in Canon. It's not an AU, never will be. XD I'm glad you're reading this even though it's different than what you normally go for ^^. Rain is... interesting... You'll just have to stick around and see if she changes or not XD The dreams, and what happened that night are the driving points for this story, so I can't really say much on them without giving anything away... sorry XD Huh, I never noticed that she had her father's stubbornness, but I guess I can see it now... interesting that I couldn't before... I'm glad you're going to stick around ^.^**

**And Rocket-ship: Thank you :) My goal is to practice description and flow, so I'm glad you love it ^-^ I guess Rain's personality is more bratty, and that's why I don't like her... She does have a very... unstable personality. Which is the point, I guess. She's not bad inside, but she is very bratty and spoiled, as well as confused, so... **

**That's it... I think XD Thanks to everyone for the reviews! I appreciate them very much :) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as the last, and please, review again ^.^**

**Ah! I have a poll up if you want to vote. I want to know how many people hate Rain, and how many people like her XD**

**That's all!**

**~Sunechirei**

**Disclaimer: I only own Rain and this story line. All other characters, whether from Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other story I'm using belong to their respective owners.  
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><p>Riku dashed forward, but it was too late; she was gone. Vanished in a flash of dark light. Sora would have killed him, were he still alive.<p>

Stopping short, Riku examined everything around him, from the gust blowing in from the sea, to the dimly lit houses off in the distance. Everything needed to be examined, because anything could be an enemy. When he saw nothing out of the ordinary, Riku relaxed, trying desperately to calm himself. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply and focusing on the spot where Rain had disappeared. If he could just track the darkness that had been radiating off the strange cloaked figure, that would lead him straight to where Rain had been taken, then he could explain everything to her.

But did he really want to?

As Riku searched and examined, he thought about the way Rain had been acting, the cold look in her eyes when she told Riku he shouldn't care about her, the sadistic smile that had spread across her pale face as she prodded at his weak point, how her malign words about him being a horrible friend jabbed him in the heart, and he wondered; did he really want to find Rain.

Recently, the only reason why he'd been taking care of her was because he felt the need to as her godfather, but was it worth it now?

Shaking his head violently, Riku pushed these horrid thoughts to the back of his mind, knowing that this was just a phase Rain was going through. Somewhere inside that bratty, rebellious girl, was the child who'd once been convinced Riku was her father, and he knew that if he could just help her, she would get through this.

However, the powers she had shown earlier that evening scared him. Even as a baby, Riku, Kairi, and Sora could all tell Rain had immense powers, but they had only come out when she was angry. That was really, never a good sign.

Finally, Riku found the path his goddaughter and that man had taken. Determined, he held out his hand to open a dark portal, holding back the darkness in his heart so it wouldn't take over him again, but he found that the power wouldn't come out. He could feel the familiar icy heat burning every inch of his body, trickling all the way to his finger tips, but it stayed there, not leaving his body, or disappearing.

He hissed, clenching his fist and pulling it back to his body, before he spun around, ignoring the sand that was flying into the air, nearly reaching his face. He forced the dark magic he had summoned down, though the pain it brought wanted to make Riku hurl, and he jogged across the sandy beach, heading back to his house.

He needed to contact someone he hadn't spoken to in years.

He needed to talk to King Mickey.

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><p>All Rain could do was fall. Her body wouldn't move, it was frozen, bound, tied by the dark tendrils slowly inching their way up her arms and legs. They cut into her, ripping her dress, digging into her skin so tightly that the blood began to trickle across her pale flesh, but she didn't feel any pain. In fact, she didn't feel anything at all, and her eyes fluttered shut as she gave into the darkness. All thoughts of living disappeared in her mind, leaving her alone with a voice that didn't seem to want to let her survive.<p>

_Isn't the darkness wonderful,_ it cooed silkily. _It's such a majestic, bold, admirable thing. You should just give in to it._

Rain tried to open her mouth to respond, but found she couldn't even move her lips. Only her eyes could change their position, but that wasn't saying much about her ability to control her own body. If only she could get rid of the tendrils, she could respond.

_Don't worry, Rain. You don't need to say anything aloud to me. I can hear your thoughts, and you're right, the darkness is scary, it is violent, but imagine if you could control it. No one would treat you like a poor little girl again, your godfather would respect you more, tell you everything he kept a secret. Isn't that what you want?_

'No,' Rain thought, 'I just want to be normal.'

As this thought entered her head, the coils began to recede, revealing bruised and cut skin beneath, and Rain's hand twitched. She shakily brought her hand up to her neck where the jeweled necklace was once again burning her flesh, but it wasn't an uncomfortable burn this time; it was a comforting heat, one that made the young girl long for the embrace of her mother. The one she could barely remember from before.

'All I want is to be normal.'

Then, she wasn't falling anymore, but lying on muddy ground, rain drops tickling her bloody skin. She blinked, her eyes sore and red from her crying, and relished in the cool water falling down on her. The cuts that covered her frail body stung viciously, but the droplets helped relieve her of that pain, almost as though the water was healing her. However, one thing the rain wasn't doing was helping with the dull, throbbing ache in the back of her head. Groaning, she sat up, her hand traveling to the back of her head, and wondered when she'd bumped her head, because she didn't remember hitting the ground, only falling.

Hand still massaging her scalp, Rain glanced around with wonder, not sure where she was. Even through the storm, she could tell she was somewhere in the middle of nowhere, blockaded by vast mountains, a darkened sky hanging over head, and the sound of hooves resonating in the distance. The trees surrounded Rain seemed to be mocking her, rustling in the wind with a ghoulish laughter, and she pulled her legs in underneath her body, sitting on them in hopes that the pressure would help halt the pain, but it didn't work. Instead, she let out a moan, her hands flying to her ankle as it screamed in agony, begging her to stop moving, or to do something to get rid of the pain.

"Who goes there?"

The sound could barely be heard above the pounding rain. Rain glanced up in the direction of the sound, suddenly aware that her makeup was probably running, and that she looked as though she's just been beaten to a pulp, with the dark purple bruises along her arms and legs, still red cheeks, tattered clothes, and cuts. Anyone who saw her would probably think she was being abused, which she felt was the case, but wasn't true at all.

She had just had a bad day.

As her eyes scanned her surroundings, Rain began wiping the dark makeup that was dripping down her face, flinching as she rubbed against one of the nastier cuts on her face. Finally, her eyes found the sound of the horses, and where the voice had come from. Much to her surprise, a lone rider was heading towards her, and as this person came closer, Rain realized it wasn't just a person; it was a female whose ears were pointed.

_ An elf?_

Wanting desperately to move, to run away, the young teen's hand feel away from her face, and she clenched it around a pile of mud, prepared to throw it at the stranger if necessary. However, when this person finally stopped, Rain found she couldn't move. This woman, despite the pointy ears, was absolutely gorgeous.

Slanted green eyes peered out from under the raven black hair, which cascaded down her back, held in place by a single leather strap. She sat regally, her back completely straight, as she glared at Rain, eyes becoming narrow. Her clothes consisted of only leather, her shirt creased slightly by the quiver resting on her back, and at her waist donned a magnificent sword, the kind Rain only saw in history text books. The woman stare was a dangerous one, and it took Rain a moment to realize just why; she wasn't exactly dressed in the way this woman was. Most likely, the stranger thought Rain was some kind of freak.

Rain was correct.

"Identify yourself!" Her voice was smooth, yet demanding, matching her profile perfectly.

Rain sat there frozen, not sure what she should say. She could tell the truth, but where would that get her? Carefully, she shifted, taking the pressure of her injured ankle, and attempting to stand, but before she could even move much farther than a centimeter, the woman drew her sword.

"Who are you, and what is your purpose for being here?" She exclaimed, pointing the sword down at Rain. Flinching, the young girl fell backwards, trying to scramble away from the dangerous sword pointed at her neck.

"I-I... um... I," Rain stuttered. Her heart was beating wildly, fear and adrenaline working against her body. The rain was beginning to lessen, leaving Rain dripping, but the woman didn't seem touched by the water falling down upon the two.

Jumping off the horse, the woman landed gracefully in front of Rain, and reached down, grabbing her arm, yanking Rain to her feet. "Answer my question!" Rain yelped, feeling the cuts in her arm open again, and her ankle twisting violently. The pain shooting up her leg was unbearable, once again bringing tears to her eyes. The pressure on her arm disappeared in an instant, bringing relief to her arm, but more agony to her ankle. "You... who are you, and why are you injured so?"

Tears streaming down her face, Rain grabbed her ankle again, not saying anything to the strange woman. She began breathing heavily, trying to keep the tears in, but it didn't work. Again, she was scared, she wasn't home, she was in pain, and all she wanted to do was cry.

"Tch." The woman growled, crossing her arms. "Oi," she called over her shoulder to an unseen presence, "get over here. She's just a human girl. Strange one, but still human."

She'd called Rain a human, which meant there weren't just humans living where she was. Unless...

"I'm dreaming, aren't I," Rain groaned, voice quiet. The woman looked down at her, eyebrows raised.

"A dream?" She scoffed, "I understand that you are human, but I didn't realize you were such an idiot. Though I should have guessed based on the horrendous clothes you're wearing." As soon as the woman said that, the fear turned into anger. Her clothes were something she was proud of, something no one was to make fun of, because it was the one thing in her life she could really control. She was proud of that.

"At least I'm not wearing dead animal skin. Heathen," Rain hissed, though there wasn't much intensity in her voice. "You want to make fun of me? Maybe you should check your own looks. Bitch." This was Rain's natural reaction when things weren't going her way. Deflect, and then make fun of whoever she was angry at. Normally, this did nothing but get the teenage girl in a bit of trouble, but with this woman, Rain became afraid she might get hurt. One thing Rain had learned from her dreams; anything was possible with someone who didn't seem to be human.

Another person, male, rode up beside Rain, observing her carefully with his calm, brown eyes, before turning to look at the woman.

"Who is she," he asked, in a quiet voice, pushing a wet lock of chocolate colored hair out of his face. "Where did she come from?" His voice was calm, confused, almost, and a faint blush painted his cheeks when he'd seen Rain. Based on what the woman was wearing, and the way the two strangers acted, Rain guessed the man had never seen a girl wear such revealing clothing before.

Of course, his surprise at her attire didn't stop her from berating him, saying, "It's none of your business who I am. I should be the one asking you guys who you are. Also, _where_ am I? I don't recognize this place at all!" Rain was amazed at her strong her voice sounded, because she felt like she just wanted to collapse. Her arms ached from the pain, though she could tell she wasn't bleeding anymore, and the dull pain that was her ankle didn't help the situation at all. Not to mention all the bruises that had become more apparent on her exposed flesh.

"You are the intruder, human. Do not think you can look down upon us and demand the questions!" Rain cringed at the pure malice resonating in the woman's voice, and she desperately wished the man would talk again. His voice was much nicer. However, that wouldn't be the case, as the woman stepped forward again, closing the distance between her and Rain. Startled, Rain held up her hand and fell back, but the hand belonging to the woman reached past her arm, resting gently on Rain's forehead.

A brilliantly warm heat passed through Rain's body, relieving her of all her pain, and then she was surrounded by darkness.

* * *

><p><em>Three young kids were sitting together, staring out at a sunset that could be matched by no other. Well, two of them were sitting. The third, a boy with sea-blue eyes and silver hair, was standing on the dirt ground, leaning against the tree with his arms behind his head. A girl, probably a year younger, sat next to him, legs swinging, fingers scratching at the crescent shaped tree, and on the other side of her, the boy with soft brown hair, crystal blue eyes, and the fashion sense of a two year old.<em>

_ "So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" The boy asked, breaking the silence that had fallen among the three._

_ "Could be," his friend replied, closing his eyes. The two on the tree looked over at him, waiting for him to say more. He seemed older than the other two, and he took on a more mature aura, which the two looked up to. "We'll never know by staying here," he continued, grinning._

_ The brown haired boy leaned around the girl, Kairi, and asked, "But how far can a raft take us?" He seemed completely confused as to what they were going to do, even though it was something they had obviously been planning for a long time._

_ Smirking, the older one replied, "Who knows. If we have to, we'll think of something else."_

_ It was then Kairi decided to join in the conversation. She looked down at the silver haired boy and said, "So, suppose you get to another world," she let out a giggle, "What would you do there?" He had to think about it for a second._

_ "Well, I haven't really thought about it." He seemed embarrassed to say this. "It's just... I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one?" He took a breath, waiting for a second to see if his friends were going to add anything, and when they didn't, he continued. "And, suppose there are other worlds... then our is just a little piece of something much greater. So, we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?"_

_ He glanced over at his friends, just as the blue-eyed boy turned to lie down on the tree trunk saying, "I don't know."_

_ "Exactly. That's why we need to go out there and find out," his voice was serious, much more so than the voices of his two friends. Pushing off of the tree, he walked to the edge of the small island they were on; unaware of the sad look Kairi was giving him. "Just sitting here won't change a thing." The girl shook her head, but it went unnoticed by the two boys as the younger boy had turned his head to look at the one speaking. "It's the same old stuff. So let's go."_

* * *

><p>It was warm under the cotton blankets, something Rain relished greatly, as she reached one hand out from beneath the covers and gripped the edge, pulling it up closer to her face as she curled into a tight ball. She was extremely comfortable; more so, in fact, than in her own bed, and she briefly wondered if she had spent the night at a friend's house. But what friend would it be? None of her "friends" actually cared enough about her to be that close, though she didn't mind. Maybe she was just happy that her dream wasn't real, and that she was actually home safe, and not cold, wet, and in excruciating pain.<p>

_In what kind of dream do you feel pain?_

Rain's eye's slowly opened, these words echoing in her mind as a constant reminder of something, something important, but what? What could be so important that a voice in her head had to say those words? In the background, Rain could vaguely hear the deep voice of a male talking to her, and when a large hand was placed on her shoulder, she groaned and swatted it away.

"I'm tired. Go away Uncle Riku," she muttered, pulling the blankets over her head. Though muffled, she could hear the man talking again.

"Arya, I appreciate you bringing her here, but I feel as though you've impaired her. She speaks nonsense." Rain's eyes opened a bit more at the sound of the man's voice. It was deeper, older, than Riku's. She wondered briefly who he was, and why he was in her room, until she realized something; she was still wearing her street clothes. Carefully, she pulled the blanket down from over her head to examine this stranger, and was completely shocked by what she saw.

Dark skin, broad shoulders, and clothes fit for a king, this man bore himself with great dignity, commanding every presence in the room to follow his will, and his will only. He had his back to Rain, so she couldn't see his eyes, a feature she always paid attention to, but he was talking to someone familiar, a woman.

_You don't feel pain in dreams, remember?_

Almost immediately, Rain shot up, the covers falling from her face, and she scrambled back against the wall, eyes wide with confusion.

"Wh-wh-who are you," she stuttered, feet pressing into the bed so she could get as far away as possible. The two people in the room turned to stare at her, green and brown eyes boring into her as though they were trying to read her soul. Rain found this to be rather creepy, though she didn't comment on it. "Where am I?" She quickly scanned the room, taking note of the stone walls, metal door, wooden desk, and the pile of clothes laying on top it. "What's going on," Rain demanded as she grabbed the covers and held them up to her face.

The woman scoffed, flinging her long black hair over her shoulder. "She seems perfectly fine to me. I don't see why you think I was harsh. I treated her as I would any human."

"That's why I'm worried." The man turned around completely, walking slowly towards Rain. "Your treatment of humans isn't always... humane, Arya. If this girl is working for Galbatorix, then we could have lost all chances of-"

"Don't talk like I'm not here! I can hear you, you know!" The man stopped walking only a few feet away from the bed, curiosity filling his old, sad eyes. He twisted his head slightly to the side, eyes still on Rain, and beckoned for the woman, Arya, to come over.

"I apologize, miss," the man said as Arya trotted over. He reached out one hand, as if to pull Rain away from the wall, so naturally, she grabbed the pillow lying at the head of the bed, and threw it at him.

"Stay away from me," she screeched, reaching for something else to throw. However, she found her arm wouldn't move. Not just her arm, however; her entire body was frozen, unable to move, like someone had tied strings around every inch of her flesh. "Wh-what are you doing to me? Why can't I move?" Rain attempted to struggle against whatever bound her.

A sigh escaped the man's lips, and he turned to Arya. "Release her."

"She attacked you-"

"With a pillow."

"Release me?" Rain's eyes darted from the man to Arya, and back. "What does he mean? What are you doing to me?" Almost instantly, whatever was binding Rain vanished, and her arm fell by her side. Quickly, she scrambled off the bed, nearly falling face flat in the dirt floor, and pressed herself against the wall near the foot of the bed. "Answer my questions!"

Silence fell over the room as the two unfamiliar people exchanged glances. It was obvious that neither of them were very eager to do what Rain demanded. Finally, the man sighed and placed a hand on Arya's shoulder, whispering something in her ear. Arya nodded at whatever he said, sent a nasty glare in Rain's direction, before spinning around and heading towards the door. She reached for the handle and yanked the metal open. The aura radiating off of her was completely terrifying.

"Now then, I think we should talk. My name is Ajihad-"

"Screw off, old man!"

"Screw off...? Child, who are you?"

Rain clenched her fist. "I won't tell you until you tell me where I am! I want to know!" Her breathing became shallow.

"I'm trying to tell you child, but if you interrupt me again, then I can't." He paused, waiting for Rain to speak, but when she didn't, he continued. "My name is Ajihad; I am the leader of the Varden. You are currently in a jail cell created by Dwarfs, because we do not know who you are, and it's possible you could be working for Galbatorix." Rain closed her eyes and pursed her lips, trying to take in everything that the man had just said. None of it was making sense to her.

Varden? Galbatorix? What were these things?

"Excuse me?" Rain relaxed a little bit, her hands unclenched, moving up her to her neck to wrap around her mother's necklace.

"Now then, I told you who I am, and where you are, now, would you please return the favor?" Ajihad spread his arms, smiling. "I won't hurt you. Don't worry."

"But we might." A chilling voice rang through the cold room, sending shivers down Rain's spine. She gasped quietly, eyes shifting towards the now open door where two identical men stood, blank expressions on their face. When they saw Rain, a smile curled on their faces simultaneously. "After all, she could be an enemy, someone who wants to bring us down. Just look at the cloths she's wearing. They look like something a wealthy girl in the capital would wear." Rain narrowed her eyes, tensing once more. She could tell that her clothes didn't match those of these people, and that these two men could clearly see that. She didn't trust them.

Ajihad sighed and turned to face them. "Now now, let's not be cruel. She is only a child, and she seems to be confused by all that is happening. Surely you can-"

"She may be a child, but even the youngest of Galbatorix's followers are excellent liars," the man who hadn't spoken yet said, a cruel look in his eye. "She could easily be-"

"Alright, I've had enough of this! Who is Galbatorix? What is the Varden? Where the hell am I?" Rain screeched, taking a bold step forward. Her hair swished into her eyes, and she suddenly became aware of a warm feeling trickling down to her fingertips, and the weight resting on her chest. She began wheezing, coughing, and spluttered cries of help as she sank to her knees, clenching her mother's necklace tightly. It was burning her skin, like before, when she'd destroyed half of the front hall.

She felt faint, her vision going blurry as her breathing stopped completely. She could still hear though; and what she heard surprised her.

"Stop it!" It was Ajihad's voice, surprised, scared, worried. "You're hurting her, stop it!"

But whatever was happening to her didn't stop. In fact, it got worse.

_"Where are my mommy and daddy? Riona and Yuna said that I didn't have a mommy and daddy. But I do, right, Uncle Riku?"_

A vision of Rain as a child flashed through her mind, sitting on Riku's lap with her auburn hair and wide blue eyes. Her pink dress was covered in mud, as was her face, which Riku was cleaning with a wet rag. He himself looked different, his hair still long, clothes still that of a traveler. As she asked this question, his eyes went soft, sad, and he picked her up, placing her on the ground.

"He said stop!" Then, it was all gone. The vision, the ringing in her ears, the pressure at her chest, the blur that clouded her vision; all of it disappeared in an instant leaving Rain gasping for air. Standing behind the twin men was Arya, glaring viciously at the two of them. "You do not listen to your leader now? How like humans."

"Now, now, Arya. They were just doing their jobs," Ajihad said. He walked over to Rain, placing a cool hand on her now bare shoulder. "In any case, she seems fine now," he muttered, "What did the two of you find?"

'Find? What does he mean, what did they find? Find what?'

Rain's mind was full of questions, ones she was desperate to ask, but her voice wasn't working, still in shock from her trauma.

The twins' brows creased, again, in the exact same moment, and they shook their heads. "Nothing. We found nothing. There is a block on her mind." It was eerie how perfectly matched their voices were, but what was strange, was how much confusion and detest was present in their voices. Rain guessed whatever they had tried to do to her didn't go exactly as they had wished it to, and that was driving them mad.

"Nothing? What do you mean, nothing," Arya questioned, pushing past them and towards Rain. "How could you find nothing? She's just a-"

"There is a strong block on her mind. We could find absolutely nothing about her." This wasn't the first time Rain had heard there was a block on some kind on her. Slowly, she raised her head, sweat dripping from her brow, stinging her eyes, and she recalled the conversation she had heard Riku have when she was a child.

He was talking to someone she had never met before, though she had talked to and received gifts from; Mickey, her mysterious uncle. Even as a child, she could tell he was worried when he was talking to Mickey, and he said in a hushed voice;

_"She has a block, some kind of shield. No matter how close she is to me, I can't sense her. It's like, someone is protecting her."_

"What does this mean? Is it magic? Let me see," Arya chimed in, and she rested a hand on Rain's forehead. This time, there was no pain, just a warm coat spreading across her skin. "It's a magic, but not one I've ever seen before." Her hand left Rain's head, as did the heat, and instead, she was yanked to her feet by a smooth hand. "Who are you?"

Rain gave in, tired, scared, and in pain from the strange prodding earlier.

"My name is Rain Hikari," she whispered. "I come from Destiny Island where I live with my godfather. I don't know who any of you are, or anything about magic or this Galbatorix guy. I won't hurt you guys, and I don't know about this stupid shield around my mind." She blinked back tears.

"I just want to go home."


	4. Chapter 3

**So, this is chapter 3... I should warn you though, it's probably not that good. Yes, it's been beta'd, but this chapter, and the next one, were written in a... strange fashion. I wrote half of this chapter, then took a couple month break and forgot all about what I wrote. Same with the next chapter. So sorry if it's a bit... weird. O.O**

**Anyway, thanks to hajikurazaki19 for betaing this chapter :) I really appreciate it!**

**Also, thanks to 813 i love you 813, my only reviewer for the previous chapter. **

**Because I'm being lazy, that's all I'm going to say. **

**Thanks for reading, please review, yada, yada, yada.**

**~Sunechirei**

**So, apparently 2 chapters can't have the same name... which pisses me off, because each chapter title is the name of the world that Rain is in. So, I'm going to say what the chapter title is in my AN, because that's what it needs to be and just let the chapter title on the scroll down bar be lame -_-**

**Chapter title: Alagaesia  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Gosh, calm down, Riku. I know she's gone, but if you focus, I'm sure you can find her-" Mickey began to say, but Riku interrupted him.<p>

"Find her? Don't you remember? She has some kind of spell around her! I can't even sense her when she's standing right next to me." He sighed, eyes scanning the living room of his house, wondering if there was some way he could fix everything.

"That does seem to be a problem."

"You think?"

"Again, calm down."

"I can't calm down! Shit! Sora would kill me if he knew I let his daughter be kidnapped by someone from the darkness."

"I don't think Sora would kill you. You're too good of a friend to him."

"But a sucky guardian."

"Please don't beat yourself up over this. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

"No, how would I- The drawings!"

Riku jumped up from the couch, and dashed out of the room without waiting for Mickey to reply. He headed up the rickety stairs, jumping over the crack Rain had created only a few hours earlier. Soon, he could hear Mickey's footstep match with his, and the two of them burst into Rain's room.

Mickey wide black eyes scanned the room. "I know she likes to draw," he began to say, "but-"

"When Rain was little," Riku interrupted, shuffling through some of the drawings on the floor, "she told me that she drew what was in her dreams. She didn't seem afraid of whoever that guy was, so she might have seen him before." The silver haired man swallowed as he leafed through the drawings. There was one common theme amongst them, only one thing tying them together; that one thing was Sora.

Mickey too, had picked up one of the pictures, and was observing it curiously. "She has dreams about her father? When he was fourteen?"

"Not just then," Riku whispered, holding up a piece of paper. On it, Kairi and Sora were standing together, Kairi wearing a beautiful white wedding dress, flushed, and Sora kissing her forehead in a tux that didn't seem to match his personality at all. "Sora's in all of these pictures, or, these are pictures that have something to do with him. There are even some that show things from before Kairi appeared." He looked up at Mickey, blowing his hair out of his eyes. "Why would she... I've never even told her about Sora traveling between the worlds, of Donald and Goofy, but-" he picked up another picture, this one of Sora standing in The Castle that Never was, his Keyblade summoned, yelling at a man with blue hair, and an X shaped scar across his face. Behind him, a duck and a strange looking dog stood, prepared to fight.

"How does she know about these things? How is she able to see-?"

"Gosh, Riku, do you think it has something to do with her powers?"

Riku froze, the paper still in his hands. Slowly, he looked up from the floor, towards his friend, a grimace on his face. "It might... but I thought those powers were blocked by the spell Kairi put on her."

"It's possible... it's possible that Kairi's charm can only do so much." Mickey paused. A hand moved up to his head and he scratched it. After a moment of thinking, he sighed and continued. "Maybe there are parts of her powers that we aren't aware of. Gosh, maybe she's stronger than we originally thought. I think that no one can stop her now."

"Have you gotten to the point where Rain's abilities can't be blocked by a silly charm?"

Riku stood up, dropping the paper in his hands, and spun around towards the door, eyes narrowed. Leaning against the frame was a teenage boy with brown hair and silver-green eyes. A smirk was plastered on his face, but his eyes were cold, emotionless.

"Who are you?" Riku hissed, taking a step back. He had never seen this boy before, but he was wearing the familiar uniform the Riku himself had worn for a year; blue, checkered pants, a white button up shirt. He obviously went to Rain's school, which would be how he knew her, but what wasn't clear, was how he knew about the charm, or about Rain's powers. Riku could feel a strange aura radiating off the boy, one he barely recognized; this boy had some sort of ability, and that scared Riku, especially since he had never noticed this before.

Protecting Rain. That had been his job. To make sure his best friend's daughter was safe and there was no one there that could harm her, but this person had escaped his watchful eye, and was living here peacefully.

The boy let out a small chuckle then pushed away from the dessicated doorway. "I take it Rain never talked about me then," he mused. "I'm hurt." He took a step forward, reaching one hand towards the floor to pick up a picture. "My name's Taro." His eyes moved from examining the picture to Riku's face. "And I'm like you." Riku backed away slowly, watching Taro carefully. He was ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"What do you mean, like me?" He asked hesitantly.

"I mean," Taro replied, flicking a piece of hair out of his face, "that I'm a Keyblade wielder."

* * *

><p>The dungeon room was dank, the only light coming from the full moon. Its brilliance streamed in through the single, barred window placed just high enough to escape the grasp of prisoners. Rain sat on the bed in there, massaging her once injured ankle, trying hard not to cry again. Even after telling the people who had captured and locked her up who she was, where she'd come from, answering every question asked, they still didn't trust her. In fact, they thought she was insane. Or, at least she was convinced that was the case.<p>

Across the room, a mirror sat above the dresser, reflecting the moonlight.

Rain crawled off of the cot, making sure not to make any noise. It was difficult with her shoes clicking against the stone ground, so she kicked them off, leaving her feet bare, and she headed towards the mirror.

"I probably look like shit," she muttered to herself, wincing as a rock dug into her foot. Rain wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case.

Even though the pain from her cuts earlier had gone away- probably from adrenaline coursing throughout her body- there was still crusted blood all over her body, showing that her gashes were still present. Though she was too afraid to check and make sure. For some reason, Rain had a feeling in her gut that healing people with magic wasn't going to be much of an issue with these strange people. After all, she could walk on her ankle again, and it had been broken only a little while before.

Upon reaching the mirror, Rain wasn't at all stunned to see that her assumption was correct; she looked horrible. Blood mixed with brown mud and dark makeup was smeared across her face, her hair was sticking to her forehead, tangled, and muddy, and the purple circles around her eyes weren't exactly what Rain would call attractive.

She sighed and limped back to her bed, wishing desperately that she wasn't here, and that she had listened to Riku. Despite the fact that she had no respect for her guardian, he did know a thing or two about life and what happens to people. He was an archaeologist, after all.

The occupation didn't quite seem to fit with his persona.

Rain's eyes cast downward, towards the desk, where she saw something that calmed her in an instant: paper and pencil. It was almost as if Rain's captors knew that drawing could help her relax, and it would get her thoughts in order. For some reason, she felt this actually was the case, as they'd basically read her mind earlier.

So she sat, somewhat hesitantly, on the stool underneath the desk, and picked up the pencil, tracing the lead gently across the strange, rough, paper. It was odd to her, to draw with such primitive tools, but it was somewhat nice.

It was almost as if the paper was calling out to her, telling her that even though she was in an unfamiliar place with people she didn't know, one constant no matter where she could go was her ability to draw.

And she agreed.

Three kids, the three from her dream, sat upon the paopu tree, though they looked somewhat different, older. Farthest from the base of the tree was a teenage Riku, his hair long and flowing in the wind. Next to him sat Sora; only a year younger, but looking as though he'd found a buried treasure. Clenched in one of his hands, was a paper, and though it seemed insignificant, Rain could tell there was something important about it.

Finally, the only female of the trio; Kairi. A sad, but knowing expression had crossed the young teen's face in that scene. The clothes she wore were familiar to Rain, being ones she'd worn before. Then, of course, was the necklace.

Rain's hand came up to the small gem after she drew it, eyes soft. It had protected her; she knew that much, but how?

And why?

"What are you doing?"

The voice coming from Rain's cell door startled her, and she turned, trying to hide the fact that she wanted to start crying again. Thinking about her mother's necklace had brought back small memories she didn't wish to recall.

The door opened soundlessly, revealing the young man who had also found her with Arya. He wore very interesting clothes, ones that Rain would only think to find in a history text book. He was clothed in a dark brown tunic, simple cotton pants, and leather shoes. Nothing more, nothing less. However, there was something interesting about him that Rain couldn't put her finger on. A presence of great power, that made Rain wish she could run away from him.

He terrified her.

"You don't need to be silent around me," the man said, shaking his head. "I know what it's like to be held captive by people you don't know." After a moment where Rain said nothing, only looking at the man with a silent look, he added, "Well, only sorta."

"Who are you?" Rain ventured this question in an almost inaudible voice.

The guy laughed. "My name's Eragon, though people here either call me Shade Slayer or Argetlam, which means 'silver palm' in the Ancient Language."

It was gibberish to Rain. She placed her pencil on the desk again and stood so she was facing him completely.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Eragon just smiled at Rain, though she could see a faint blush paint his cheeks when she stood up, and he averted his eyes. Her own eyes were rolled, figuring that in this time period, women didn't wear clothing as revealing as Rain did, and the teenager standing in front of her wasn't used to seeing this much exposed skin.

He reached for the bed Rain had been sleeping on and picked up the blanket, handing it to her.

"Wrap this around your shoulders," he muttered. Rain took it and did as she was told, glaring at Eragon slightly. There was nothing wrong with the clothing she wore; she shouldn't have to cover it up. "Now, I want to talk to you. Your name's Rain, right?" After Rain nodded, he continued. "That's an interesting name, and not one that you would hear anywhere in Alegasia."

"Alegasia? Is that-," Rain started to say, but she stopped midsentence. He wouldn't believe that she had no idea where she was. No one else did, after all.

"I believe you," Eragon said, noticing Rain's hesitation. "I believe that you don't know where you are."

"Why would you believe me?"

"Your clothing is one reason," Eragon gestured towards the bottom of her dress, "but also the way you speak, and the fact that you told Arya and the Twins that you didn't know who Galbatorix is. They told me you said that, and then Arya mentioned that you had no fear in your eyes when you said his name."

"So? Who is he?"

"He's the self-proclaimed King of Algesia, and a monster." He shook his head. "If you really worked for the Empire, as the Twins think, then you would have either had great respect, or complete fear when saying his name."

"And this stupid block on my mind?"

"I feel a strong radiance of magic from your necklace. I think it may be that."

Immediately, Rain's hand flew to the gem, which was slightly warm, but Eragon shook his head again.

"Not that one, the one that's shaped like a key," he gestured to the dark collar around her neck. "Well, I guess you wouldn't call it a necklace-"

"It's a collar," Rain muttered, touching the golden key. "My dad gave it to me when I was born."

"Your father gave you a collar? Why in the world would he do that? Does he see you as an animal? Or was it to keep you chained up?"

Rain rolled her eyes. "The charm, retard. He gave me the charm. I put it on the collar a few years back because I was sick of it being on my mother's necklace." She turned back to her picture, examining her handiwork with interest.

"I, I'm sorry," Eragon muttered, obviously startled. "I didn't realize that is what you were talking about." Rain just shrugged, not really caring what he was talking about or why. She only had eyes for the younger version of her father. But why, was a mystery to her. She didn't know why she had become so obsessed with him, and not her mother. It was almost as if something were calling her to him, like the ice cold key on her neck.

"That is an amazing picture." Eragon's voice was closer than she remembered. It shocked her, and she jumped up, hiding the picture with her hand. "Who are they?" He hadn't seemed phased by her reaction at all. Only curious.

"My family," Rain muttered. "My parents and my godfather. When they were younger."

Eragon nodded. "The clothing is strange, and I don't recognize that tree. Are you sure you didn't just make it all-"

"I thought you believed me!" The paper flew off the table as Rain slammed her hand down on it. "Why do all of you here think I'm lying? Or that I'm 'making it up?' It's possible, you know, for all of this to be some kind of illusion, and all of you guys are just messing with me!"

"Don't get mad at me. I was just stating a possibility."

"A stupid one."

The two glared at each other, the tension rising in the room. Then Eragon let out a sigh and backed towards the door.

"You're as impossible as they said. I'm just going to leave now," he muttered, hand wrapping around the doorknob. "You might want to figure out how to get that barrier off from around your mind; otherwise you're going to be in here for a long, long time."

"Well then tell me how- hey! Get back here, I'm talking to you!" Rain nearly began to cry as the door closed behind Eragon, and she sunk to her knees. "Goddammit!"

* * *

><p>Sleep wouldn't come. No matter how much Rain wanted it to, the normal instantaneous slumber failed to come. Something about the room kept her awake. It may have been the uncomfortable bed she was laying on, or the dark stone ceiling, or even the fact that she was in clothing that she wasn't quite comfortable in.<p>

Even through Rain didn't want to, after eating the cold, hard bread and cheese, she changed into a deep brown dress brought by a strange woman. When she changed out of her old clothing, she almost felt relief being in something clean. But as she dropped the black lolita dress onto the ground beside the bed, a pang of regret filled her.

No longer did she have the control over her clothing she longed for.

She never liked brown, and the fact that the dress was so long, with uncomfortable leather, lace up boots, made her feel like she lived in the middle ages. Of course, everything in this place made her feel that way. Even the way the people talked was too old fashioned for her.

She hated it.

"Having trouble, Rain?"

The sly voice came from the corner of the room. Rain sat up in surprise, scanning the area where the voice had come from. The shadows hid whoever was there. However, she knew it was the man who'd taken her here. That voice was unmistakable.

"What do you want from me? Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" Rain asked all of these questions in quick succession, not caring if the guy actually understood her.

"All in good time, Rain. For now, I'll help you."

"What do you me-"

The creaking of the door shut Rain up. She glanced over at it, not sure what to do, and then back to the shadowed corner.

No one was there.

* * *

><p>"There she is! Get her!"<p>

Rain ran as fast as her legs would allow her, trying to make her way through the maze that was her prison. Everywhere she went there was nothing but rock, and dead ends. For the past hour she'd been wandering around, searching desperately for an exit, but there wasn't one to be found. Then an alarm sounded.

They found out she had escaped.

"Don't let her get away!" The man's voice was harsh and cold. It sent shivers of fear through Rain's body. Trying not to trip over the random pebbles lying about the cavern, she glanced around her, eyes straining in the darkness.

"Going somewhere?" It was Arya.

Rain hadn't even noticed her, but there she was, standing in front of Rain. She almost crashed into the strange woman.

"I knew you were no good. You are planning on killing Ajihad, aren't you?"

"N-No!" Rain protested, backing away. "I just wanted to get out of here! I don't want to be here!"

"Lies. You're nothing but a spy for Galbatorix." The elf held up her hand and began to mutter something. A fireball appeared suddenly in her palm, swirling. Rain felt the blood drain from her face, and she felt her knees collapse.

But she didn't fall. Before she could, a figure appeared in front of her, out of nowhere, and wrapped their arms around her body. It was the strange figure from before, the one who'd gotten Rain into this mess.

Arya let out a gasp and sent the ball of fire towards the two outsiders, but it exploded long before it reached them, sending Arya back against the wall. She grunted in pain, just as a gentle breeze flowed towards Rain, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes.

Then, darkness surrounded her, climbing up her legs and arms, pulling her under, drowning her. Fear flourished in Rain's heart. The same thing had happened back on Destiny Island, right before she was pulled into that dark place where she was cut up, bruised, and then discarded into that rainy field. The same thing would most likely happen to her again this time. She didn't want to be hurt again.

"No!" She exclaimed, struggling against the man, and the darkness, but she couldn't move.

"Don't struggle, Rain. You'll only hurt yourself more."

"What are you doing to me?"

"Taking you somewhere safer than this."


	5. Chapter 4

**... No, I didn't forget about this story. Yes, this chapter has been sitting on my computer since the last time I uploaded...**

**I'M SORRY! :(**

**Things have been so weird in my life recently. I'm trying to get my life organized and sometimes things just fall to the bottom of that pile... :/ I'm working on finishing all my already started fanfics though, so this story will eventually get done. It just might take a while, so bear with me. ^^**

**The ending of this chapter is not to my liking. Actually, the whole chapter is not to my liking, but I don't care anymore. I don't have a beta, I'm not looking for one, and I just want to get this finished... *sigh***

**Thanks to all the reviewers :) I don't know who all reviewed last time, but thanks anyway.**

**Read, enjoy, review, and again I'm sorry for the long wait. Don't kill me...**

**~Sunechirei**

**Chapter Title: Riku**

* * *

><p>Riku hadn't trusted Taro. The fear he felt from the boy made him uncomfortable; more so than Rain ever made him feel. He didn't want to be around the boy, even though he seemed to know more about Rain than Riku could ever figure out.<p>

But unfortunately, he had to let the boy come with him. He was indeed a Keyblade wielder, though according to Mickey, not a master. With his skills and his knowledge of Rain's personality, they could find her easily, and without the issues that Riku knew would come up if he went alone.

So, reluctantly, Riku told Taro he could come with. The moment he said those words, however, Mickey got a message from Donald. A distress call describing a horrifying scene back at the castle. Hundreds of heartless had appeared and were trying to destroy the world.

Mickey had to go back to his own world and save his family, which would leave Riku and Taro alone with each other.

He didn't approve of this idea.

"Gosh, I don't want to have you guys go alone. Donald and Goofy can take care of the castle while I'm gone. They're probably better at destroying heartless than I am," the king protested, despite Riku telling him he needed to go.

"Don't, Mickey. If your world needs you, then you should go. I can find Rain on my own," Riku said, frustrated. He glared at Taro for a moment, trying to get the boy to change his mind about going with.

"But-" Mickey tried to protest.

"You're so stupid," Taro interrupted, crossing his arms. He stood by the door, waiting patiently for Mickey to leave. Riku could tell he just wanted to leave and get this over with, but Riku wouldn't go until Mickey went back to help his people. "This idiot and I are the only ones who need to go find Rain. You don't."

Riku desperately wanted to slap the boy.

"Don't talk to King Mickey that way," he hissed, preparing himself to attack if necessary. But King Mickey held out a gloved hand.

"Nah, he's right. I need to leave. Good luck with finding Rain, and if you ever need my help, just let me know."

"Thank you, Mickey," Riku said, just as the king smiled and vanished into a portal of light. Riku watched the spot for a while, trying to think of what he could do to keep himself calm. Now that Mickey was gone, he could feel the disgusting aura radiating off Taro expand, and it was making him nervous again.

"Well, now that the mouse is gone," Taro said, grinning, "we should head off and find Rain. Don't you agree?"

Riku didn't say anything, instead holding up his hand and creating a small portal so he could get out of this house. He heard Taro walk up behind him, but didn't bother paying attention to see if the boy followed him into the darkness, or not.

* * *

><p>"Riku? What are you doing here? I don't think I've seen you in over fifteen years." Aerith's voice brought relief to Riku, and he smiled at her. Despite having aged over the years, she still looked rather young and bright, her pink clothes standing out against the grey world surrounding them.<p>

Radiant Garden hadn't changed much, like Aerith. The buildings remained beat up, tattered from all the battles they'd seen, the voices coming from the windows were still cheery and hopeful, giving a false sense of happiness to the town, and worst of all, the dark, looming castle was still outlined in the distance.

Riku's eyes landed on the towering building, memory going back to the the time when he didn't have control over his thoughts anymore. It reminded him of Maleficent, and of the horrible things he did to Sora and Kairi. Keeping them away from each other because of his jealousy.

"Riku? You okay? Why are you here again? I thought you couldn't come back," Aerith said, bringing Riku back to reality. He blinked, and glanced over at the woman who stood there with a somewhat worried expression on her face.

"Yes and no... it's hard to explain," he replied, glancing around to find Taro. He remembered the boy joining him in the small courtyard, but after that he just seemed to vanish.

"What do you mean? Has something happened?" Aerith placed a warm hand on Riku's clothed arm, worry in her voice.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, something's happened. But I think everyone should know about this," he explained. "Are they all with Merlin still?" A silly question. The "gang" always gathered in one place and one place only.

Still, Riku felt the need to ask the question.

"Of course they are," Aerith said, smiling. "Well, Yuffie isn't. She said she had to go find something, but the guys are with Merlin right now, discussing something important about the city's security."

Riku nodded, and the two headed off down the back alley ways of Radiant Garden. His and Aerith's footsteps echoed off the walls, bringing back the emotions he'd been trying to contain these past two years. The feeling of wanting to escape Destiny Island and get away from Rain. He didn't want to be with her anymore.

He wanted to go back to the time when he, Sora, and Kairi had explored this world. After defeating Xehanort and before Sora "retired," as Kairi put it, the three of them would wander around this place and try to find all the cool things about it. By the time they'd found everything, they all knew this place as well as they knew the other island back home.

It was the most fun Riku had had since the door opened when he was fifteen.

Riku smiled when he thought of himself as a fifteen year old. Confident, stubborn, competitive, and always determined to get off the island and find some place new to explore.

That feeling continued on with him even after Kairi and Sora passed. He let those parts of him come out for only a little while. He wanted to travel, learn more about the heartless, make sure Ansem's study was finished after all those years of just sitting there. All of these things he did, selfishly, in his opinion, and that led him to be unable to save his friends.

He couldn't save his friends because he'd wanted to finish his research. That alone kept him on the island, taking care of Rain now.

"We're here!" Aerith exclaimed suddenly, placing a hand on Riku's shoulder. He jolted, not having realized the two of them were finally in the enclave where Merlin's house sat.

He marveled at how familiar the buildings were, even though they were also so different to him. The "Hallow Bastion Restoration Team" had certainly done an excellent job cleaning up.

Even though the place hadn't changed that much, the bricks were much cleaner, not as broken, and many of the missing ones were now replaced. The ground itself was clean – well, as clean as a street can be – and the best part of all, plants had begun to grow again.

When Kairi was pregnant with Rain, she, Riku, and Sora had come to visit this world, and Aerith showed them pictures of the past. Back when Kairi was a child. Plants grew everywhere then; Kairi had said she remembered that, despite not having any memories of this world before.

She'd looked so happy when she said that, and so peaceful. Riku wanted her to have that look forever.

Just thinking of this reminded him that she was gone. Both she and Sora. They couldn't come her together anymore.

After thinking of this, he noticed Aerith had disappeared into the house, and with a sigh, Riku followed her, not sure what to expect from the inside of the wizard's house. Normally he kept the place in such a mess, and Riku doubted the old man had changed his habits at all.

A smile crossed his face, and he entered the building.

"Yo! It's Riku! Long time no see, eh?" Cid waved at Riku, welcoming him to the group for the first time in years. "You look different somehow. Like, you're older, or somethin'." A bottle of beer rested in his non-waving hand, which caused Riku to smirk. With the goggles on his head and the mechanic clothing on his body, Cid hadn't changed one bit since Riku last saw him.

"That would be because he is older, old man." Cloud sat in the corner of the room, slouched over in a chair, still wearing the same black, leather clothing he'd worn before. Though his hair had grown out a little, it still stayed spiked, and his gigantic sword lay by his side, looking unused.

"Hey! Don't go disrespecting me you no good-" Cid started to say, heading in Cloud's direction, but a snappy voice interrupted him, coming from the computer on the other side of the room.

"No need to fight, honestly," Leon grumbled. Riku turned his attention toward the man and watched him type something into the computer before he turned around, smirking ta the sight of the newcomer. Just like the other two, he hadn't changed at all other than the obvious signs of aging that everyone experiences.

Well, except for Merlin. The old man, still in his blue robes and hat, sat at the table in the middle of the room with a large, musty book in hand.

Just like always.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Riku said quietly, glancing around. He wondered briefly where Tifa could be, but pushed it to the side. "Yet, I come here and all of you are pretty much the same as when I left."

"That's the understatement if I ever head one. You haven't been around since you took off to take care of that baby Kairi and Sora left behind. What's her name...?" Cid shook his head, taking a sip of beer. Riku's face fell.

"Her name's Rain," Riku said quietly. Cid hadn't never been known for his sympathy. The way he said that made it sound like Kairi and Sora just left Rain behind one day and never came back to her. Which isn't at all what happened.

"Right... Rain. Interesting name, if you ask me."

"No one was asking you," Cloud answered, smirking.

_His personality has changed a little bit_.

"You know what you ungrateful little-" What came at the end of that sentence, Riku never heard, as Merlin suddenly stood, waved his wand, and knocked Cid's chair back so he couldn't finish his threat. There was a twinkle in his old eyes; a hint of amusement amongst the annoyance he was most likely feeling at the moment.

"Now, now, Cloud, Cid, this isn't the time for you two to do your "thing," as Yuffie puts it," Merlin said in his creaky, well used voice. "I fear that Mr. Riku here has unfortunate news for us on this once fine day." He gestured towards the seat that wasn't taken at the table in the middle of the room. "I am guessing that is the only reason you have left Destiny Island, am I correct."

Hand moving to the bag hanging by Riku's side, he nodded.

"It's about Rain," he said, sitting down in the chair Merlin had gestured to. He tried to continue his sentence, but he didn't know what to say. Everyone in the room was watching him intensely, waiting for the news he needed to share.

There was only one way to explain it.

"I'm assuming King Mickey has filled all of you in on Rain while I've been gone," he finally said. As soon as everyone in the room had confirmed they knew, he continued. "Then you know that we decided Rain should be told nothing about the other worlds, and hasn't been informed about what her father did when he first became a Keyblade Master."

Riku reached into his bag where he'd placed as many pictures as he could from Rain's room. Each one disturbed him in a way he didn't understand, as they had to do with the adventures Sora journeyed on all those years ago, but some of them were worse.

Especially the first one he pulled out.

He placed the picture on the table, closing his eyes. Looking at the drawing again was not something he wanted to do, and yet it haunted him, no matter what.

Seven circular stained glass platforms were sketched on the page.

Each one was placed in a specific place, and each with a single person that Riku recognized perfectly: the seven princesses of heart. Standing in the middle of these platforms was Sora. Fifteen, eyes closed, holding a glowing heart in his outstretched hands.

"We've never told her anything, yet somehow, she was able to draw a picture of something Sora saw in a dream, years before she was born." He opened his eyes, not at all surprised to see the shocked faces of his friends as they stared at the picture. "Sora and I have always known she had powers, but something like this is unfathomable." He pulled out other pictures and placed them on the table. "Now she's gone, missing, and I think this power she possesses is one of the reasons."

Silence greeted Riku as everyone in the room looked at the pictures. The atmosphere falling over the room was overbearing to him. He felt like someone was trying to strangle him for telling them what was going on, for showing these pictures.

"She's gone...? What did you mean by that?" Aerith eventually asked, holding up one of the drawings curiously. "What happened?"

Riku laughed, shaking his head. "She's a teenage girl who thinks she owns the world. We got in a fight about it." He paused for a moment, wondering if he should mention that he'd hit her. It was the main reason she'd become so upset in the first place. In the end, he decided to leave it out. "She got really angry with me, and tried to leave the house, but I guess she couldn't open the door or something." He let out a small sigh before continuing, not wanting to think about how scared Rain had appeared. "It seemed to me that someone was controlling her emotions, making her think irrationally. Then, the next thing I know, half of the entry way is destroyed, including the door."

"She did that?" Leon asked, shaking his head like he couldn't believe it.

"Yeah."

"The daughter of Kairi and Sora, two people with the purest hearts I'd ever met in my life caused that much damage?"

"With darkness, yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," Riku snapped, frustrated. "Every second I stayed in that house after she caused the damage, I was reminded of my time in the darkness."

He shuddered just thinking about the dark aura he sensed around Rain that night. A sickening feeling had floated around the entry way, keeping Riku where he was as his charge dashed out of the house, crying. If the darkness hadn't threatened to consume him, he would have been able to catch up to her, stop her.

Before anyone else could ask him a question, Riku continued his story.

"After the initial shock left, I chased after her. It's surprising how fast a girl in high heels can run in sand. When I finally caught up to her, she was talking to strange man wearing a cloak. It was obvious he was pure evil. No light in him at all, but Rain went with him."

Again, no one said anything.

Finally, Merlin held up a photograph, eyes no longer twinkling.

"Is this her?" He asked, turning it around. Riku nodded, feeling a pang of anger in his stomach. It was a recent picture of her, hair dyed black, strange make up on, and wearing clothing that Riku made clear he didn't want her to wear. "Why does she look so... so..."

"Depressing?" That was the only work Riku could ever come up with to describe the look Rain was determined to pull off every day. "I don't know. She just started dressing like that a little while ago."

"Well, she looks strange, but easily identifiable," Leon commented, taking the picture from Merlin. "If we see her here, we'll make sure she doesn't escape and then contact you."

"You think she'll show up here?"

It was Cid who spoke this time, laughing like the maniacal mechanic he was. "Ya think she won't? That girl is the blood relative o' both Sora _and_ Kairi. One was born here, and the other couldn't stay away." He wiped at his mouth, one of his strange habits. "There's no way she _won't_ show up here."

It made sense, in a way, to Riku.

"Alright. That's true. I'll stay here then and-"

"No."

"What?"  
>Aerith placed a hand on Riku's shoulder, smiling sweetly at him. "We're sure that Rain will come here eventually, but we don't know when, or if it will happen. You should go and try to find her in another world." She closed her eyes. "And you may find something else out there."<p>

It went against everything Riku wanted to do. The most logical thing to do would be to stay and wait for Rain to show up, but Aerith was right. Despite what the mangy old mechanic said, there was no certainty she _would_ show up. It would be best for him to search for her himself.

"But how efficient will that be?" Riku asked as Cid got up, grumbling about the fact the computer was beeping. "I can't sense her, so I won't know if she's in a world or not. It would take forever to find her."

"Actually, it probably wouldn't be that hard," Cloud commented from his corner. "She doesn't know the rules of the worlds, so she'll probably talk to people, try to find out where she is, and she may tell them who she is. Just ask around. If they mention a strange girl, search for her. If not, leave."

"But-"

"Damn kids!" Cid's exclamation from the computer cut out all other noise in the room. "When will they learn that Ansem's study is not a play pen!" He stood up, grumbling. "Leon, Cloud, ya guys go chase out the damn rascals who need a cage or something."

"Hey-"

"And Riku, go find yer damn goddaughter! We have things to do here, and we don't need ya here right now!" He continued to mutter under his breath, as he plucked at the keyboard. Cloud and Leon exchanged annoyed glances.

"Fine," Leon growled. "Riku, if we hear anything, we'll contact you with this," he handed Riku a transmitter. "It's something Cid's been working on while you've been away. It works between worlds, somehow."

He gave in. There was no way to argue with a group of people who were only speaking sense.

"Alright."


End file.
